


IT'S GOODBYE TIME

by ksstarfire



Category: Starsky & Hutch
Genre: Ahhhhh!!!, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-23
Updated: 2016-09-01
Packaged: 2018-08-10 12:28:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 11,657
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7844968
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ksstarfire/pseuds/ksstarfire
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What happens when it's 'goodbye time'?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> In case you are young or never heard Conway Twitty sing this song, here’s a link.  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JYBAQ88vEGU  
> And if you don't remember Conway... How about a VERY young, mullet-haired Blake Shelton?  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JLn6ZYkGBP0

******* 

It had started as a small plaster wall. One day it was suddenly there between them. Neither had voiced any clue about what had caused it to spring up between them. And both thought if they ignored it, it would simply disappear.

Over the next week it had become encased in concrete and rebar. It had grown taller and wider. Hard to ignore and not looking like it was going to disappear. 

They did their jobs. They functioned but not as smoothly as they usually did. They got results but felt no joy in them. ‘Me and thee’ seemed to be a thing of the past. 

Broken.

Last week the wall had been reinforced again. This time it became wrapped in barbed wire. Sharp and cutting, like the words they sometimes spoke to each other… when they bothered to speak to each other at all.

They used to spend all their time together, laughing and loving each other. Now they could barely stand to be in the same room at the same time. And forget about any touches, much less the loving. 

Hutch had tried to breach the wall. He had racked his brain trying to figure out what had happened. He missed Starsky. He missed their closeness. He missed his lover. But any and every attempt he made to scale, go around or through the wall was met by stony silence and icy looks. He tore his heart to shreds on the barbed wire. 

He finally went to Huggy for help.

“I don’t KNOW what happened, Hug! I can’t think of anything. It just happened. It’s like he suddenly decided he didn’t love me anymore. Like he didn’t even LIKE me… at all. I wish I knew what I did. Have you talked to him? Has he said anything to you about all this?”

“I haven’t seen Starsky. He hasn’t been in here for over three weeks now. This is the first time you’ve been in here in about the same time. I was beginning to think I’d served you bad food or something.”

Huggy’s attempt at a joke fell flat. “Look man, you guys gotta talk. This has gotten outta’ hand. Call him.”

“I’ve tried. He hangs up as soon as he knows it’s me. IF he even picks up the phone. When I’ve driven by his place, his car is usually gone. If it’s there and I go up to knock, he doesn’t answer. And… he’s changed his locks.” Hutch looked away then back at Huggy. “My key to his door doesn’t work anymore. I… I… I don’t know what to do. Captain Dobey called us into his office yesterday. He said he’d noticed there was a problem and for us to work it out. Starsky never said anything… he just got up and left. Not just the office, but the station.

“I haven’t seen him since.”

Huggy looked closely at his blond friend. He saw the dark circles around the dull blue eyes. The crease between his brows was deeper than he had ever seen it. His broad shoulders were slumped. The joy usually evident in Hutch’s face was gone. “What can I do to help my friend?” 

“I must have done something, Hug. Something that hurt him very badly. But I can’t figure out what. I can’t stand to see him hurting like this. I… I, uh, turned in my notice to Dobey before I came over here. I’m going back to Minnesota.”

“Hutch…”

“No, Huggy. I’m miserable. Starsky is miserable. I’m obviously the cause. I love him too much to keep hurting him with my presence. I’m flying out tonight. I have a moving company that will pack up my stuff early tomorrow. Maybe if I leave he’ll stop hurting. Maybe he’ll be happy again. I want him to be happy.”

“You can’t do this, Hutch.”

“It’s already done, Hug.”

***** 

Starsky pulled the Torino into the beach parking lot. He sat there for a few minutes then got out and walked over to a bench and sat down. The ocean was a deep blue with small waves and white puffy clouds reflected in it. A perfect view. Wasted on the man whose vision was turned inward. What the hell had he allowed to happen? Why couldn’t he just talk to the man he had loved for so many years? It was stupid really. He couldn’t even remember now what had made him so angry about something that might have been innocent. 

He had seen Hutch hug another man. Had it been what he had THOUGHT it had been? Or had it been just an innocent hug? He didn’t think he’d have ever had reason to be jealous before. So why now? Why hadn’t he just asked him? Why had he let it go so long? 

And was it too late?

He got back in his car and headed to Venice. Maybe it was time to find out. The talk with Dobey had made him realize that they needed to talk.

When he got to Hutch’s he saw the LTD was gone. He thought about leaving a note, but instead drove to his house. There’d be time tomorrow.

***** 

In the end Huggy had talked Hutch into trying one more time. 

“You owe it to yourself my man, but especially you owe it to the dark headed one. If you don’t try, how will you ever know if you made the right decision?”

“Do you really think it could work? Could it make a difference?”

“You gotta’ try. You leaving isn’t gonna’ make either of you happy. Be here at nine, and bring your guitar. You DO know the song?”

“Yeah. Never thought I’d be singing it though. You sure you can get him here?”

“I’ll get him here my blond friend. I’ll get him here.”

***** 

“Look Starsky, you gotta come down and hear this singer tonight. He’s awesome!”

“Ah, Huggy. I’m just not up for it. And when did you start havin’ live music?”

“It’s something new I’m trying out. Starsky, I haven’t seen you in weeks. If you don’t show up by nine tonight, I’m gonna’ put the word out on the street that you don’t love Huggy anymore, and then you can kiss any street info from my sources goodbye. You want that?”

“Ok, ok Huggy. Maybe a beer would be good. I’ll be there.”

“Don’t make me send muscle over to get you!”

***** 

Hutch had shown up about eight. Huggy had cleared a couple of tables away from one corner and made a makeshift stage. He had put a stool and small table there. He had a mic and sound system set up. Hutch took a sip of the beer Huggy had put on the table.

“I don’t know, Hug. You sure he’s coming?”

“He’ll be here. You just start singing. I’ll let you know when he shows up.”

“I’ll know when he shows up. We may be done but the ‘radar’ is still there.”

Hutch took his guitar out of its case and tuned it. He began to strum it. As soon as the noise in the bar quieted he began to sing some of his favorite oldies. With each song the applause grew. He was enjoying this more than he thought he would.

Then the air shifted and he knew.

Starsky was here. 

His mouth went dry and his fingers miscued on the guitar strings. 

He quickly finished that song and spoke into the mic.

“Thank you everyone for your kind applause. This next song is gonna’ be hard for me to sing.” There wasn’t a sound in the packed bar. He saw Starsky start to turn back toward the door. “It’s a special song. For someone who used to be my world.” He saw Starsky stop. “But we all know that sometimes, things just don’t work out.” Starsky was standing there with his back to him. He strummed a few chords to give himself time to get composed.

“So this one is for the one who is my life, my heart, my love. The one I somehow hurt and have been making miserable.” His voice faded and broke. He knew he couldn’t say anything more without breaking down, so he closed his eyes and started to sing.

“It's your life  
You say you need a change  
Don't all the dreams we've seen come true  
Mean anything  
You say, ‘It's different now’  
And you keep starin' at the door  
How can you walk away?  
Don't I matter anymore?  
If being free is worth what you leave behind  
And if it's too late for love to change your mind  
Then it's goodbye time  
If we had known  
Our love would come to this  
We could have saved our hearts the hurt  
Of wasted years  
‘Well it's been fun’  
What else can I say?  
If the feeling's gone  
Words won't stop you anyway  
If being free is worth what you leave behind  
And if it's too late for love to change your mind  
Then it's goodbye time”

By the time he’d finished the song, tears were running down his cheeks. He had whispered the last line. 

He quickly wiped the tears away and grabbed his beer. He took a sip while the place erupted in thunderous applause and a standing ovation. 

He tried to see Starsky, but couldn’t see him because of everyone standing up and cheering. Worse… he couldn’t ‘feel’ him. He’d rolled the dice… and lost.  


He said a quick thank you to the crowd. 

Then he whispered into the mic, “Goodbye time, my love.” 

Huggy was standing there by the small ‘stage’. “Thanks Hug. For everything. I’ll send for this. The LTD is yours, sell it or give it away. I have a cab waiting for me out back. It'll take me straight to the airport. I just have time to catch my flight.” He handed Huggy his guitar and car keys. He picked up the small suitcase he had brought in with him. “Take care of yourself, Hug.” He hugged him.

"Hutch, wait..."

“And take care of… Starsk.” 

With that he walked quickly toward the back door. 

***** 

Starsky had walked into the packed bar, surprised to see so many people there. Then he heard the voice singing from the small stage. Almost at the same time he ‘felt’ Hutch in the room. He stopped, unsure what to do. He didn’t want to do this here… now. He turned around toward the door at his back.

He heard Hutch start to talk again. “…for someone who used to be my world.”

He stood there with his back to the room, listening as Hutch cut open a vein and bled for him in a very public way. 

Before Hutch had reached the end of the song, Starsky had turned around and started toward the stage. But the large crowd was on its feet, clapping and shouting. He caught of glimpse of Hutch handing his guitar to Huggy and hugging him. 

“HUUUTCHHHHHHH!”

But his cry was drowned out by the crowd also calling out Hutch's name. He saw Hutch pick up the small suitcase that had sat on the stage with him. He saw him head toward the back door. He caught sight of Huggy standing there, staring at Hutch’s back. He saw Huggy’s shoulders drop and he knew. 

He’d blown his chance. 

Hutch was gone.

*****


	2. IF TOMORROW NEVER COMES

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's over.  
> Or is it?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Starsky has to catch up with his 'flight' partner.  
> Because Starsky IS 'fight'!  
> To the hopefully not 'bitter end'.  
> Credit to Garth Brooks for "If Tomorrow Never Comes"

Hutch was gone.

Hutch was gone?

HUTCH WAS GONE!

He almost pulled his gun and emptied it into the ceiling to get people to move out of his way, but didn’t want someone to get hurt or for Huggy to be mad at him. He might need Huggy’s good will to help patch up what he had torn apart.

He finally got to the front of the room by the stage. He saw Huggy putting Hutch’s guitar in its case. “Where is he, Hug? Where’s Hutch?”

Huggy looked up at him with teary eyes. “He’s gone, Starsk.”

“No!” Starsky tore through the hallway to the back door. He saw the LTD parked there and ran to the driver’s door. 

There was no one in the car. He whirled around and saw a cab leaving the far end of the alley. He started to run but knew he would never catch the cab on foot. He ran back and jumped in Hutch’s car and reached for the police radio. 

It wasn’t there. 

Nor was the MARS light. 

He looked in the back seat and saw it was cleared of all the ‘stuff’ that was normally there. As he leaned over the front seat he saw even the floor had been vacuumed. A quick check of the glove-box showed it to be empty of all but the ancient car’s manual. 

A sick feeling came over him. He lurched out of the car to the other side of the alley and grabbed hold of the chain link fence. He bent over, sure he was going to throw up, but ended up gulping in deep breaths of air.

He stood when he heard the back door of Huggy’s slam shut. He watched the tall black man slowly walking toward him. He had an envelope in one hand and Hutch’s guitar in the other. 

“I’m sorry, Starsky. I tried to get him to stay.”

“Where? Where did he go, Hug?” He didn’t seem to be able to catch his breath. Every word was pushed from the bottom of his lungs. He felt like he was drowning and Hutch wasn’t there to pull him free of the undertow that had him in its grip. 

“He had a flight to catch.”

“Flight?”

Huggy just nodded and stood there.

“Huggy! Don’t do this to me.” He stepped up in front of the taller man and grabbed the lapels of his lime green suitcoat. “Flight to where? Tell me! I gotta know!”

“Why? Why do you need to know… now? Instead of stepping forward when the blond one was singing his heart out to you in there?” Huggy stood unmoving.

“I couldn’t get through that crowd. I didn’t think you’d want me to put a full clip of bullets into your ceiling to get them to move.” He shook the man by the lapels he still held. “PLEASE Huggy, I gotta’ talk to him. Where did he go?”

Huggy looked into Starsky’s eyes and saw the same pain there that he had seen in Hutch’s. Maybe this wasn’t the end. Maybe…

“He caught a cab to the airport. Had a flight out tonight. He’s heading back to Minnesota. A moving company is gonna’ be at his house early tomorrow to pack up his stuff. He told Dobey he quit. Gave me the LTD.”

Starsky turned loose of Huggy’s coat. His head bowed as he took in what Huggy had told him. He closed his eyes to hold in the tears burning there. When he looked up there was fire in his eyes. “This isn’t over Hug. WE aren’t over!” 

“Then take this my friend.” Huggy handed the guitar and envelope to Starsky.

Starsky looked at the envelope filled with money. “What’s this?”

“I put a jar at the bar for Hutch. This is what that crowd stuffed in there for him. He left before I could give it to him. I think there’s about a grand in there. They loved him. Unlike some around here have been acting lately.”

“This is all my fault Hug. I have to fix this. Hang onto his guitar for me would ya?” Starsky stuffed the envelope in his jacket pocket and ran back toward the door. “I’ll be in touch! I got a lot to do.” 

He opened the door and ran through the club to get to his car. He thought about using the police radio to try to stop Hutch, but knew he needed to get his ducks in a row. He figured he would only have one chance and he didn’t want to blow it. 

***** 

It was late when he got home, but he called Captain Dobey at home. He had to interrupt the Captain’s tirade about Hutch quitting. “I know, Cap’n. I’m trying to fix us… that. I’m gonna’ need a couple’a days off. I gotta’ fly to Minnesota and talk to him. Please, Cap, I need a few days?” He hung up when Dobey gave him his ok.  


Next he called the airlines and booked a flight mid-morning for Duluth. Then he packed his bags and tried to sleep. Thoughts of what he needed to say to Hutch kept him from resting very well. Also thinking of what he had to do before he left kept his mind occupied. 

***** 

The alarm’s shrill ringing pulled him from what little sleep he’d had. He got dressed, grabbed his suitcase and ran down the stairs to the Torino. He sped toward Venice Place with lights and sirens going. 

Pulling to the curb in front of Hutch’s he jumped out of the car, leaving the MARS light flashing. He opened the trunk and grabbed what he needed. He went into the restaurant below the apartment and talked quickly to Hutch’s landlord. With her agreement, he set the first part of his plan in motion.

***** 

When the movers arrived, they found Starsky standing by the Torino with the red light still flashing on the roof. He seemed to be talking over his police radio. There was yellow crime scene tape plastered all over the door to the stairs leading up to Hutch’s apartment. The driver of the truck got out and approached Starsky.

“Wha’s goin’ on here? We’re supposed to move someone’s stuff out of this buildin’ this mornin’.”

Starsky pulled his badge out of his pocket and flashed it at the man. “Sorry, police business. Someone broke into this building last night and ransacked the place. I can’t let anyone in until we can talk to the owner and find out if anything’s been stolen.”

“He told dispatch he was flyin’ out last night. How long we gotta wait?”

“We know. We’re trying to track him down now. If you have another job to do, go ahead and go. It may be a week or so before we can let you guys in this building.” He watched as the guys got back in the truck and left. He let out the breath he’d been holding. 

One thing down, now on to the most important thing. 

He pulled the crime scene tape off the door and jumped back in his car. He headed to the airport. He should just have time to catch his flight. 

***** 

“Hi Mrs. Hutchinson. I’m Dave Starsky, Hutch’s err, Ken’s partner?”

“Oh yes, Dave. I remember you. What can I do for you?”

“Well, I wondered if I could talk to Hutch Ma’am?”

“I’m afraid that won’t be possible right now Dave.”

“Why not?” He didn’t mean to sound angry, but he wanted to know why Hutch didn’t want to talk to him, after he had come all this way.

“Come in Dave. I think we need to have a talk.” She stepped back from the door and ushered him into the living room. She indicated for him to have a seat and went to ask for tea and cookies to be brought in to them.

Starsky was fidgeting on the couch, wondering what was going on. He thought about just standing up and yelling Hutch’s name until he showed up, but he remembered the social skills his mom had taught him and kept quiet.

Mrs. Hutchinson walked back in with a tray loaded with two glasses, a pitcher of ice tea and a plate of cookies. He stood quickly and took the tray from her and placed it on the coffee table.

“Thank you Dave.” She poured tea into the glasses and indicated for Starsky to help himself to the cookies. 

He took a sip of the tea but declined a cookie. He didn’t think he could eat anything until he got to see and talk to Hutch. 

“Why can’t I talk to Hutch? Doesn’t he want to talk to me?”

She took a sip of her tea and put the glass down on a coaster on the table. She turned on the sofa to face him. “Dave, when Ken showed up here last night, I knew something was wrong. He looked like he had been crying. When I asked him what was wrong, he told me ‘nothing’ and went into his father’s study to talk to him. I don’t know what they talked about. 

“But this morning, his father told me that Ken had decided to join him in the family business. I didn’t know what to say. Ken smiled and nodded his agreement, but wouldn’t tell me anything else.”

“So he’s at the office with his… Mr. Hutchinson?”

She put her hand on Starsky’s arm. “No, Dave. They flew out this morning. For London. Ken is going to take over the European branch of the business. Ken isn’t here. That’s why you can’t talk to him.”

*****


	3. Unchained Melody

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How far will one go for love? How far for the love of one's life? 
> 
> And time goes by so slowly  
> And time can do so much  
> Are you still mine?

“London? As in England? Across the ocean?” Starsky stood up from the sofa and walked over to stand by a window. He was looking out at a lush garden filled with roses and blooming flowers. But he didn’t see the mix of beautiful colors. He didn’t see the lovingly tended plants. All he saw was endless miles of water… an ocean. 

Hutch had felt the need to put an entire ocean between them. 

He closed his eyes and his chin rested against his chest. He felt like he couldn’t breathe. Just like back in the alley behind Huggy’s. God, he had hurt his love bad enough to make him fly halfway around the world, just to get away from him. 

Maybe… maybe he was trying to tell him that he was done. That he didn’t love him anymore? 

Before he could get too mired in his bleak thoughts he felt a hand on his arm.

“Dave, come and sit back down. I want to talk to you. Please?”

At the gentle tug on his arm he let himself be led back to the sofa. Mrs. Hutchinson placed a shot glass in his hand and, with her hand under his, gently helped lift the hand holding the glass to his mouth. He drank the whiskey in one gulp. He knew if it was in the Hutchinson house it must be the good stuff, but for all he cared, it could have been rotgut. But the burn going down his throat did help clear his mind a little. 

Mrs. Hutchinson watched him. Watched his eyes to see when he came back from whatever hell he had been viewing while looking out the window, but seeing only blackness. When she saw his eyes begin to focus on the real world again she took a deep breath and began to speak. 

“Dave, I know Ken… Hutch… loves you.” When Starsky started to speak, she hushed him with her fingers laid gently on his lips. “I have known for some time that the two of you were in love. Are lovers.

“I can’t say it’s what I wanted for Ken… but I CAN say I have never seen him happier since you two admitted your love for each other. Ever. And all I want is for him to be happy. And I want that for you too.

“I don’t know what happened between you to cause Ken to make this choice, to work for his father. But I know he’s not happy with it. It’s not what he ever wanted before, and it’s not what he wants now. I KNOW this. 

“So I want to help you. Help you find him. And help you to get him to talk to you. He’s only half of himself… without you. And I am guessing the same is true for you, Dave?”

“He’s everything to me. He’s my breath, he’s my heartbeat. I can’t live without him. I just can’t.”

“Will you tell me what happened, Dave? What caused this?”

“I saw something. Something that made me jealous. Something that made me doubt his love for me. And I pushed him away instead of asking him about it.” He paused. “I WILL tell you, but I need to talk to Hutch about it first. I need HIM to be the first to hear this. I hope you can understand Mrs. Hutchinson?”

“I do understand Dave. I only want my son to be happy. No conditions or restrictions. I believe YOU are my son’s happiness, Dave. So let’s figure out what we’re going to do.”

“We?” He looked at the woman sitting beside him in shock and wonder.

“Yes ‘we’. Do you have a passport?” When he shook his head ‘no’ she continued. “Okay, that’s first on our list. Do you have your luggage with you?”

“No, I got a motel room when I got into Duluth. I, ah, wasn’t sure what was going to happen if... when I talked to Hutch.”

She picked up the phone and called the garage and asked her driver to take him to his hotel and bring his luggage and him back to the house. 

“I can call for a cab, Mrs. Hutchinson.”

“This will be faster. I have some other calls to make while you’re gone. When you get back we can finalize our plans.”

He reached out and took her hands in his. He leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss on her cheek. “Now I see where Hutch got his kind heart and gentle spirit from. Thank you Mrs. Hutchinson.”

“If we’re going to be co-conspirators in this, Dave, I wish you would call me ‘Margaret’.”

“OK, ‘Maggy’ it is.” He flashed a cheeky grin at her and saw her blush as one of the maids stepped into the room and told them the driver was at the front door. Starsky reached out and drew Margaret into a hug. “Thank you. And you can call me ‘Starsk’. I’m not used to answering to ‘Dave’ so much anymore.”

“It’s a deal, Starsk. Get your things and when you get back we’ll make our plans.”

***** 

Richard Hutchinson looked across the desk at his son who was sitting straight up in his chair across from him. He had on a three piece suit and looked the part of a business man from his buffed and polished shoes to his carefully groomed hair. It was a picture he had always wanted to see of his son.  


But the shadows in his eyes and the deep crease between his eyebrows worried him. Ken’s sudden appearance and decision to join the family business seemed too good to be true. He had asked him yesterday in his study why the sudden change in his life plans. But Ken had only said, “It’s time to grow up.” He wasn’t able to get any other explanation out of him. 

So he had set out to integrate him into the business. He had already had a trip to London planned and Ken had indicated he would prefer to work there… overseas. 

They had flown out early this morning in one of the long-distance jets the business owned. He had just finished explaining what he wanted Ken to do in his new role as head of Hutchison International. Ken had nodded and indicated his acceptance of what was expected of him. They had left the offices and Ken had set about setting up his new home at the luxury apartment complex Hutchinson International owned next door to the office building.

Richard Hutchinson stayed for a week and when he saw his son was more than capable of running this part of the business he flew back to the States, stopping in New York to work on some issues with the offices there.

Hutch applied himself to the business at hand. He immersed himself totally until he had no time to think of anything but work. Anytime a picture of dark curly hair or sapphire eyes stole into his thoughts he banished it and worked all the harder to forget the old and only focus on the here and now.

One day he asked his administrative assistant if she knew where he could buy a guitar. He hadn’t taken the time to send Huggy money to send his over to him. He thought it might be best to cut all ties to his old life. His admin told him about a pawn shop not too far from the offices. She also told him about a pub that had open mic nights, should he want some place to play. 

That night after he left work, he visited the recommended pawn shop and found a guitar that seemed to fit him. He purchased it and went home. 

He started playing the guitar that night. Old songs he loved to play. But as he relaxed with a bottle of scotch on the table near him he segued into the old Righteous Brother’s hit ‘Unchained Melody’. He felt tears track down his cheeks as he softly sang along to his playing. 

“Oh, my love, my darling  
I've hungered for your touch  
A long, lonely time  
Time goes by so slowly  
And time can do so much  
Are you still mine?  
I need your love  
I need your love  
God speed your love to me  
Lonely rivers flow  
To the sea, to the sea  
To the open arms of the sea  
Lonely rivers sigh  
"Wait for me, wait for me"  
I'll be coming home, wait for me

Oh, my love, my darling  
I've hungered, hungered for your touch  
A long, lonely time  
Time goes by so slowly  
And time can do so much  
Are you still mine?  
I need your love  
I need your love  
God speed your love to me”

He stopped singing and started to throw the guitar across the room. At the last second he stopped himself and put it gently down on the couch beside him. “Stupid Hutchinson! You’re trying to get him out of your mind and all you do is play sappy shit and moon over him!” 

He got up and took the bottle of scotch out onto the balcony of his penthouse apartment with him. He sat down in one of the thickly padded chairs and looked out at the ocean he could see from there. He drank straight out of the bottle. He fell asleep there, finally, after the bottle was mostly empty. And for once, he didn’t remember his dreams. 

*****


	4. HOLD ON, I'M COMING

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oceans can't stop true love. Can they?  
> Thanks to Sam and Dave for their classic hit, Hold On I'm Coming!

When Starsky got back to the Hutchinson’s he was amazed. Mrs. Hutchinson had a photographer there and the paper work he needed to fill out for his passport. She also had racks of men’s clothing for him to go through. Casual stuff and suits, even a rack full of tuxes! There was a full set of designer luggage sitting by the sofa. He shook his head at what a dynamo Hutch’s mother was.

“Da… Starsk, I’m so glad you’re back. We have a lot to do. Sit down and start on this paperwork while the photographer gets set up. We need to have your passport ready by this evening. Ken’s father will be home tomorrow afternoon, and I would like for us to be gone before he gets here.”

“Maggy, I can’t afford to fly to London, even if I do have a passport. Even flying coach is way more than I can afford on my salary.”

“You’re not flying coach, Starsk. You’re not even flying on a commercial plane. We will be taking one of the Hutchinson International company jets.” With that bombshell, she began pulling dress shirts and suit coats off racks and putting them on the back of the sofa. 

“When you’re done with the passport stuff, you need to try on a few of these so we can get you packed. My maid has my stuff almost packed, so the sooner we get you clothed properly, the sooner we can be airborne. Get to filling out those forms young man!”

Starsky gave her a sharp salute and sat down at the table to tackle the passport forms. As he wrote he kept hearing an old Sam and Dave song ‘Hold On, I’m Coming’, and he began to sing it quietly to himself. 

***** 

Hutch had gone to the pub his Admin had suggested and found it laid-back and friendly. On his third visit he had brought his new guitar and worked up his courage to sing a few songs. The crowd was companionable and lively and sang along. They would call out song requests if he found himself short of ideas. He stuck with upbeat songs for the most part. 

His late night singing had turned into a part time job. The owner of the bar offered him free beer and all tips that were put in the entertainment’s tip jar for the night. Hutchinson International paid him a very comfortable salary, but he enjoyed the money he made at the bar more. It seemed more ‘real’ to him somehow.

Last night when he had gone to the club, he had suddenly started an old riff on his guitar and before he knew it, he and the crowd were singing ‘Hold On, I’m Coming’. He knew it was a song Starsky used to love to sing. He shook his head to clear it from thoughts of Starsky. 

That was his past. 

This was his present.

And future. 

***** 

Within three hours, Starsky had a valid passport, a new wardrobe stashed inside designer luggage and was in a stretch limo on the way to the airport.

“Maggy. I don’t know what to say. This is way above and beyond. I could have found a way to get to London. I could have called Huggy and asked him to sell the Torino and used that money to fly over there. I…”

She cut him off. “Starsky, you are going to need help to pull this off. I know how stubborn Ken can be sometimes. You will need me to get the lay of the land, so to speak, and run interference for this to work.” She turned to him with a soft smile on her face. “I told you I want Ken to be happy. I’ve never seen him as happy as he has been since you two took your relationship beyond just friends. It means a lot to me that he’s happy. His father and I weren’t always the best parents at times and I want to make that up to him.” She stopped for a moment and wiped at a tear in her eye. “If loving you and being loved by you is what makes him happiest, then that’s what he’s going to have.

“You DO still love him, Starsky?”

“With my whole heart and soul, Maggy. I’m just sorry I ever doubted his love for me. I’m sorry I didn’t outright ask him about what I had seen. Instead I built a wall between us and it grew every day that I didn’t talk to him about it. Before I knew it, all we had was the job between us. And without the trust, one of us was going to get hurt… or killed. 

“I think that’s why Hutch left. He knew. He knew we couldn’t continue to work together the way things were.”

She nodded. “Yes, that sounds like something he would do.”

The driver rolled down the partition between the seats. “We’re here Mrs. Hutchinson.”

“Thank you, Arthur. Will you and the pilot see to the luggage please?”

“Yes, Ma’am. Right away.”

Starsky stepped out of the limo and put his hand out to assist her out of the car. When he turned around he saw the sleekest plane he had ever seen in his life. It was red, white and blue with “HI” and a number on the tail. Mobile steps were pushed against the plane with the open door at the top. Maggy took his arm and began walking toward the steps. 

He stopped at the bottom of the steps. “Are you sure, Maggy?”

“I love my son. I want the best for him. I’m very sure, Starsky.”

With that he let her precede him up the steps and into such luxury he had never seen before. All blue and white inside with splashes of red for accent. The interior carpet felt about two inches thick. There was a fully stocked bar, small kitchenette area, sofas and seats, and even a television. He noticed three crew members not counting the pilot and cockpit crew.

“Boy, Alice this is some rabbit hole you fell into this time.” He whispered to himself as the cabin door was shut and the jet shot down the runway and lifted off.

He kept singing “Hold on, I’m coming’ under his breath as he looked out the window of the plane. The moonlight was dancing on the ocean below. He only hoped Maggy knew what she was doing. He reclined his seat and before long the stress and tension he had been living with drug him down into a deep sleep. His last thought was one word. “Hutch.” 

***** 

Hutch had been singing for about an hour that night. He had sang every song the audience had called out to him. The audience had grown every night he had been there. The owner of the bar came over and told him to take a break because he wanted to talk to him. 

“Ken, you’ve been a great asset to my business. I’d like to pay you to sing here every night. Not just for your tips.”

“Thank you Mr. Steele, but I have a full time job that may require me to travel at a moment’s notice. I don’t think I can take you up on your offer, but thank you. Singing here has been fun and… well it’s helped me out a lot. Helped me to not be so homesick.”

“Ken… it’s not my business, but sometimes running isn’t the right thing to do.”

Hutch looked at him closely.

“You have that look. Like half of you is gone. Like I said, not my business, but take it from someone who once ran himself… sometimes what you run from is what you need the most.” With that, he slapped Hutch on the shoulder and went back to tending bar. 

Hutch walked over to the small stage and picked up his guitar. With the owner’s words echoing in his ears he began to sing. He sang “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow” and Roy Orbinson’s song “Crying”. He launched into “Tears On My Pillow” and ended with “Only you.” 

The crowd was on it’s feet clapping and yelling for more, but Hutch put his guitar up and waved goodbye as he left the club, got in a taxi and went back to his penthouse apartment. 

As he walked into the apartment he shrugged out of his suit coat and pulled his untied tie off and threw both on the back of the couch. He walked into his bedroom and finished undressing. He took a quick hot shower and pulled on a pair of old sweat pants. He realized they were a pair of Starsky’s but didn’t change out of them. 

He stopped by the bar and poured himself a glass of Scotch and opened the balcony doors and walked over by the concrete wall. He sipped the scotch as he looked to the east. He closed his eyes and let his mind loose to fly over the ocean. He saw the east coast pass under him, then the great plains. He smiled as he soared over the Rockies and the desert. 

When he was over Bay City he let his mind circle for a while. He tried to reach out to touch Starsky, but he couldn’t feel him. Panicked at first, he took a step toward his living room and the phone there, but realized he couldn’t call anyone there. That part of his life was done. He shook his head at his foolishness and downed the scotch. 

Walking back into his apartment, he stopped for a second. He had suddenly felt Starsky for just a few seconds. But he felt ‘close’. Closer than Bay City, California. “You need to stop drinking Scotch old boy. It’s making you crazy.”

But he poured himself another snifter full and took it into his bedroom where he swallowed it in three large gulps. Within a few minutes he was asleep. But his tossing and turning testified to the fact that the scotch hadn’t helped him relax. 

*****


	5. DUDE LOOKS LIKE A LADY

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things are heating up. Mrs. H and Starsky set out to see if Hutch is happy.

Thank you to Aerosmith for finally giving me the song for this chapter!  
“So never judge a book by its cover  
Or who you’re gonna love by your lover  
Love put me wise to her love in disguise  
She had the body of a Venus  
Lord, imagine my surprise  
Dude looks like a lady  
Dude looks like a lady  
Dude looks like a lady  
Dude looks like a lady”

 

The jet touched down so softly that it took a minute for Starsky to realize they had landed. As they taxied to the HI hanger Mrs. Hutchinson spoke to him. “I’m glad you got some rest Starsk because we are going to be very busy today and tonight.”

“I need to talk to Hutch right away.”

“No, I don’t think so.”

“What do you mean?”

“I… we need to see how he’s doing. Has he accepted this new life he chose?” When Starsky started to interrupt she continued. “I really don’t believe he’s happy with this change, but I think we both need to take some time to observe him and gauge his… happiness.”

“How are we going to observe him without him seeing us?”

“You leave that to me young man. I have it all worked out.”

As Starsky rose from his seat to exit the plane he wasn’t sure if he wanted to know what she had in mind or not. He had come to believe that Maggy was someone he shouldn’t turn his back on. She might look like a high-society lady, but she had the keenest, most diabolical mind he had ever known.

“We’ll be staying in the same apartment building as Ken so we’ll have to be very cautious to remain out of his sight. Especially you. I intend to let him know I’m here but that I have a lot of things to do, so I will let him know when I’m free. That way he won’t come to my suite and see you there.”

“Ahhh, here’s the limo, let’s get started on my plan.”

“Yes Ma’am. Whatever you say.”

Mrs. Hutchinson called ahead to the apartment complex from the limo and was told that Hutch was not in residence at this time. When she called his office she was informed that he was in a meeting with some clients from Australia. She deferred on leaving her name or a message. 

When they reached the apartments she had Starsky and the driver take the luggage to her suite while she distracted the doorman and desk manager. She didn’t want there to be any questions or talk about her having a guest… just yet. 

Starsky opened the suite door to her knock a few minutes later. All of his luggage was sitting in the formal front room. “I wasn’t sure where I was staying?”

“You can take your things into that part of the suite. You have your own bedroom, bath and sitting area. There is a deck off your bedroom. Hmmm? I need to be sure which suite Ken chose to use. We have to be sure he doesn’t see you.”

“I really would like to talk to him… soon. I’m not comfortable with waiting Maggy.”

“I understand. I do. Please trust me on this? I’m afraid if we rush he might run again. And be harder to find the next time.”

Starsky nodded his understanding and started moving his bags into his part of the suite. 

“I have a couple of friends coming over in an hour. Get cleaned up or rest. You will be going out with them to pick up a few things.”

“Things?”

“You’ll see.” She smiled and waved as she walked into her side of the suite.

Starsky didn’t like the looks of her smile… not at all.

*****  
Hutch was tired after the meeting with the Australians. It was only three in the afternoon but he decided to leave early. What was the good of being the boss if you couldn’t take advantage of the perks. 

“Amanda I’m going to call it a day.”

“Very well Sir.” 

No matter how hard he tried to get her to call him Ken or Hutch, she refused. 

He grabbed his briefcase and headed for the garage and his limo. He needed to back off drinking when he got home so late at night. It was starting to catch up with him.

When he arrived at the complex he boarded one of the elevators and pushed the button for his floor. As the doors closed he felt a sharp stabbing pain in his chest and almost fell to his knees. The air in the car was heavily scented with cologne just like some he had purchased for Starsky last Christmas. He grabbed the railing inside the car and wondered why he was imagining Starsky’s scent. “Yeah Hutch you need to back off the scotch.”

After entering his place he took a quick shower and changed into jeans and a denim shirt. He grabbed his guitar and headed downstairs. 

He waited for the other elevator to ride down in.

****  
It was an hour later, exactly, when Starsky heard a knock on his door. When he opened it Mrs. Hutchinson was standing there. “Starsk I want you to meet two very good friends of mine. This is Michelle and this is Chloe.”  


Starsky looked up at the two. He stuck his hand out and shook hands with the two. Michelle was over six foot tall and dressed in a long, loose-flowing flowered skirt and pink blouse. Chloe was slightly shorter and dressed in a clinging light blue jersey shift. Both had long blond hair and were wearing perfect makeup.

“Uh, nice to meet you both.”

“Ohhh Mrs H… he is delicious! Just yummy.” This from Michelle. 

“We could take him home with us and eat him up!” Chloe added.

“Girls! You leave him alone. For now he belongs to Ken.”

Starsky looked from Maggy to the two drag-queens in confusion.

“Starsk, my friends are going to take you shopping for a few things. I would take you, but we are short on time and when I told them what was going on, they graciously offered their assistance. Go with them and don’t argue with them. Trust me, you will lose. I saw Ken leave a short time ago, so you should be safe going out the front door. Have fun!”

Michelle and Chloe each put an arm through one of Starsky’s and walked him out of the suite. They were chattering a mile a minute with each other as they got on the elevator and rode it downstairs. They continued to exchange what he thought were store names as they were picked up by the HI limo and whisked away. 

“Nope… not in Kansas anymore Toto.” He muttered to himself as he was sandwiched between them in the back seat.

*****  
Two hours later Starsky was escorted back into the suite by Michelle and Chloe. Mrs Hutchinson was standing in the living area and turned to see who was there. 

“OH! Michelle and Chloe!! You two have worked a miracle. Several miracles I am thinking!” She walked over to the three and walked around Starsky, looking him up and down. “Just exactly what I had in mind. What do you think of your transformation, Starsk?  
Starsky raised his left hand to push some hair out of his face. He almost put his right eye out with the inch long fingernail on his finger. It was painted a glossy deep blood red. Thankfully Chloe grabbed his hand in time to prevent injury. 

“Is this really necessary, Maggy?” He caught sight of himself in the full-length mirror in the hallway. He looked behind himself to see who the stunning redhead was standing behind him before he realized ~HE~ was the stunning red head. 

His keepers had taken him to a barber shop where he had been shaved to within an inch of his life. They had then taken him shopping, and the last stop had been at a beauty parlor.

Flaming red tresses fell past his shoulders with long sweeping bangs almost hiding his eyes. He had more makeup on his face than a whole cast of any Broadway play put together.

When he looked down he saw that he had somehow acquired boobs to the tune of at least a forty inch bust line. Michelle and Chloe had not let him look in any mirrors tonight and had kept him so busy, he hadn’t paid a lot of attention to just what they had been doing. His waist had been cinched in enough, he could barely breath. He looked exactly like the kind of woman he used to drool over… before he realized Hutch was the true love of his heart and life.

The formfitting emerald green dress they had squeezed him into shifted with his every move. He ran a hand down the soft, silky fabric. 

He took a step toward the sofa in the middle of the room and almost fell off the three inch heels he had on. Michelle and Chloe had helped him into the building and to the suite from the elevator. They quickly flanked him and helped him to sit. 

“Okay, these shoes have to go!”

Mrs Hutchinson nodded, “They look stunning on you, but we can’t have you breaking a leg.”

Chloe pulled a shoebox out of a bag she had put on the couch. ‘We were afraid of this. So we have a back up pair.” Chloe pulled the low-heeled shoes out and exchanged the heels for them. 

“Don’t let him out of your sight. I’m going to go change and we can head out.”

“Oh, it won’t be any trouble keeping an eye on him. Whew!” Michelle fanned her face and laughed. 

*****  
When Hutch walked into the pub he was amazed at how full it was. And mostly all women. Then he looked closer and realized most of them were men dressed as women. He almost left but the owner saw him and motioned him to come on in.

“Every now and then we have a night like this. They love to sing and dance and they tip better than any other customers I have! So you should make out pretty good tonight. They are going to love you! Go ahead and get set up and I’ll bring you a beer.”

Hutch took his place on the small stage and pulled his guitar out of it’s case. Several of the ladies waved at him and yelled encouragement as he made sure his guitar was in tune. He took a drink of the beer that had been placed on the table near him and started playing and singing. Before long the crowd was calling out favorites and having a great time. A glance at his tip jar showed him the owner was right, it was fuller than it had ever been.

***** 

Chloe and Michelle both stood when they heard Mrs. Hutchinson come out of her side of the suite. Huge grins appeared on their faces. Starsky stood from the sofa and turned to see what they were grinning about.

“Maggy?”

“Not tonight dear. Tonight I am ‘Fantasia’.” 

She had on a long flowing black wig and almost more makeup than Starsky did. She was wearing all black. Skin tight knit jeans and a tight black shirt with cutouts around the waist. She looked like a high-end hooker to Starsky.

“You… you… you can’t go out looking like that!”

“Do you think my son will recognize me?”

“No way. I barely recognize you!”

“Exactly!. Shall we go… ladies?”

***** 

Michelle and Chloe had arranged for a couple of their friends to save a table off the side of the stage. Not too close, but close enough for them to get a good look at Hutch. They had to fight their way through the crowd and by the time they got to the saved table, Hutch was stepping down to take a break. 

Even in the lower-heeled shoes Starsky stumbled a little and backed into somebody. He turned around and froze. He found himself face to face with Hutch. He stared into those familiar ice blue eyes and started to speak, when Hutch shook himself and said, “Sorry, Ma’am”, and hurried off toward the bar with his empty glass.

Michelle stood and took him by the arm and helped him into his chair. Mrs. Hutchinson quickly sat beside him. “Starsk. Are you alright?”

“Yeah, yeah. I gotta go talk to him!”

“Not yet. We need to know…”

“I KNOW! You didn’t see his eyes. He’s… he’s sadder than I have ever seen him. His eyes are dead. I HAVE to go talk to him. I HAVE to fix this!!”

“We WILL fix this. But not here. Not tonight. Let’s listen for a while and then go. Tomorrow we can decide how best to approach him. Please, Starsk, listen to me.”

Starsky sank back into his chair watching the direction where Hutch had disappeared.

***** 

“What the hell?” Hutch mumbled to himself. He had decided to take a break because he kept feeling his former partner in the club. Then that statuesque red head had bumped into him and set all his ‘on buttons’ on fire! He hadn’t reacted to a woman for years. 

He had glanced back at the table where she was sitting to find her staring at him. There was something… almost familiar about her. But he would have remembered if he had seen someone like her before. He was about to walk back over when he felt a touch on his shoulder. 

Mrs Hutchinson had decided drastic measures were called for, and left the table to approach her son from the opposite side of the pub. “Hello Kenneth. You sounded wonderful up there. Have you been playing here long?” She made shooing motions behind Hutch’s back and was glad to see Michelle and Chloe stand and begin to hustle Starsky out of there as soon as Hutch turned to look at her.. 

He turned around and came face to face with…”Mom?!”

 

*****


	6. SONGLESS BUT NOT SPEECHLESS

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Can love survive when trust has been broken? Is true love forever… no matter what?

“Mom?!” 

Hutch couldn’t believe his eyes. His mother was dressed up like a drag queen! And what was she doing here… in London?

“What are you doing here? Where’s dad? Does he know you’re dressed like… like Cruella da’Ville?”

“Darling, I am ‘Fantasia’… NOT this Cruella person!”

“Mom… “

“Okay, okay. I was worried about you, and I wanted to be sure you were alright. I didn’t want you to know I was keeping an eye on you, so some friends of mine helped me change my appearance so I could sit and listen to you without you knowing it. And your father is either still in New York or back in Minnesota. He probably doesn’t even know I’m gone.” 

“I’m taking you back to the apartment complex.’ He took her arm and tried to turn her toward the door. He didn’t get very far. She stood unmoving where she was. He saw the stubborn look on her face and knew that short of tossing her over his shoulder he wasn’t going to get her to move until she was ready to move. 

“I’d like to stay for a while. This is fun! And I have always loved to listen to you sing. You have such a beautiful voice, Ken.”

“Alright. But you stay where I can keep an eye on you. Or I WILL toss you over my shoulder and carry you out of here! Got that?”

“Yes dear.” She sighed with relief knowing Starsky should be well on his way back to the suite and not standing out front where Ken might have run into him. She had seen Ken looking back at Starsky and knew he was thinking something was up..

***** 

“I’m not going. And if you two try to make me you’ll regret it.”

Michelle and Chloe looked at each other in dismay. They were still standing outside the club when they should have been halfway back to the HI complex. 

“Starsky, Mrs. H wants…”

“I know what she wants. But I saw enough. I saw the hurt and pain in Hutch’s eyes. I have to talk to him now. Before the pain I caused destroys him. You gotta’ understand… Hutch will brood over this and blame himself and it’s not his fault.” Starsky stood as steady as he could and stared both men down. 

“He’s dying inside. I can’t stand that. He thinks I don’t love him anymore and I have to make him see he’s wrong. Please? I know him. I know what he needs.”

“Okay, but if this goes south YOU have to be the one to explain to his mom.” Chloe gave a shudder. Michelle nodded and shuddered too. “She can be one ruthless woman when she wants to be.”

“I believe you. I have a plan. But I’m gonna’ need some help distracting Hutch until I can get into position. You guys in?”

They looked at each other and shrugged. “Yeah, we’re in. 

***** 

When Chloe and Michelle walked back into the club and sat down at the table with Hutch and his mom, she looked her questions at them. They smiled in reassurance and she relaxed. She quickly introduced them to Hutch. And they all began sharing stories while some of the other bar patrons were taking their turns at entertaining the crowd. 

Hutch could hardly believe his mother was friends with two drag queens, let alone that she was dressed very similarly to them. He was about to ask if they knew who the redhead had been when someone on the stage tapped on the mike. He turned in his chair and was stunned to see the redhead standing there, holding his guitar. He started to stand when Michelle, Chloe and his mother all told him to sit still at the same time. 

He guessed he might be about to get some answers, so he sat back in his chair and kept his eyes on the woman. 

***** 

Starsky had never been comfortable in front of crowds and now wasn’t any exception. The only thing keeping him from bolting was knowing this might be his only chance to fix what he had broken. It might be his only chance to save their love. So he took a deep breath and started to strum Hutch’s guitar.

“I… I was gonna’ sing a special song… but I couldn’t come up with one that said everything I needed to say.” He kept his eyes from straying to Hutch. If he looked right at him, he was afraid Hutch would see through his disguise and run. 

“I’m sure some of you have messed up before.” A loud round of chuckles and laughter filled the room. “And I’m sure some of you caused your loved one a shit-load of pain, without meaning to.” Nods and ‘Amens’ flowed. 

“But I’m also sure… none of you have ever screwed up as badly as I have.” Dead silence in the bar.

Hutch shifted in his chair trying to see the lady’s eyes, but Michelle took his arm and his mom moved closer to his other side and put her hand on his other arm. She put her head against his shoulder and whispered softly to him, “Remember son, love never fails.”

“A while back I saw something. Something that I saw as a betrayal of my trust in someone I had no reason to doubt.” He kept strumming the guitar and caressing it with his hands. “I have no excuse for believing what I did. I had never not trusted this person before. I had trusted them with my very life more times that I can tell you. And yet, I let jealousy cause me to shut them out.”

Hutch shifted again and looked toward the door of the bar. He wasn’t sure what was going on, but was thinking it might be a good time to slip out for some reason. He was stunned to see a veritable wall of drag queens blocking any exit from where he sat. He looked at Chloe and Michelle. “Your doing?”

“No dear. It was mine. Now shush and pay attention.” His mom tightened her grip on his arm.

“I have no excuse. All I can do is beg for forgiveness and promise to never betray that trust and love again.

“I can promise to expose my heart and soul to you.” Starsky reached up and pulled the red wig from his head. 

“I can promise to always look you in the eye and honestly ask you, if I don’t understand something.” He put the guitar down and pulled a bar rag off the table and began to wipe the thick, heavy makeup off his face. 

“I can promise to love you forever and beyond… if you will accept my apology and listen to my explanation… poor as it may be.” He turned to look directly at Hutch. 

“I’m sorry. I was wrong. I want to explain.” He took a deep breath and with tears running down his face he locked eyes with Hutch. “And I want to love you and cherish you for the rest of our lives Hutch. My heart is still and will forever belong only to you. 

“I love you Hutch. 

“Please tell me I haven’t lost you.”

He could hear sniffles and soft ‘awwws’ from the crowd, but kept his eyes on Hutch who had ducked his head and was looking at the floor. 

He blinked his eyes and worried that it was too late. He was about to step off the stage and walk away when Hutch stood and stepped up on the stage to stand in front of him. 

Hutch looked at Starsky. He saw the tear streaks through the makeup he hadn’t managed to totally scrub off his face. He raked his gaze down and back up his body encased in the silky emerald dress. He took a deep breath and said. “There’s nothing to forgive, as long as you still love me.”

“I do love you, Hutch. You are my life, my breath and the beating of my heart. I couldn’t live without you… even if I thought I could.”

Hutch put his arms out to Starsky and pulled him close to his chest. He bent his head near Starsky’s ear and whispered “How much do you love me?”

Starsky whispered back, “With everything I have and am.”

Hutch pressed his mouth to Starsky’s ear again and whispered, “Will you leave the fake nails on… at least for tonight?”

Love and laughter surrounded the two men as they clung together in the middle of the small stage. 

*****


	7. EPILOGUE

Starsky pulled Hutch close to him. He pulled his head back and looked at Hutch’s face. “I don’t deserve you, but I’m never going to betray your trust or love again. I promise Hutch, with everything in me, I promise.”

Hutch returned Starsky’s look and reached up to pull his face close so he could kiss him. 

Arms pulled tight around each other, lips pressed together, they were totally unaware of all the loud cheers, wolf whistles and applause going around them. When it looked like they would never break apart, Mrs. Hutchinson sent Chloe and Michelle up on the stage to try to separate them. 

Their attempts at first failed amid laughter from the crowd.

Finally Hutch pulled back and took a look around. A pink blush stained his cheeks. “I think we need to take this some place more private… my love.”

Starsky closed his eyes,breathed Hutch's scent in deeply and soaked those words in… ‘my love’. He opened his eyes and looked over Hutch’s shoulder to the crowd still cheering them on. A matching blush spread over his cheeks. “Yeah, and I need to explain. Can’t do that here.”

The two turned fully toward the crowd and arm in arm stepped off the stage. Mrs. Hutchinson met them and told them the HI limo was waiting for them out front. 

Michelle and Chloe decided to stay at the the club and promised to bring the guitar to Hutch the next day. Starsky, Hutch and his mom made their way through the crowd who yelled congratulations and best wishes at them. 

When they reached the limo outside Hutch stepped forward and opened the front door. “Mom, I’m sure Jackson won’t mind if you ride up front with him for once.”

“But, I want…”

“No mom. We need some privacy.” Looking at the driver he said, “Jackson, take the scenic route would you? Oh, and put the privacy screen up?” He heard the divider slide up and hurried to slide into the back of the limo with Starsky. When he was settled in the back he looked up to see the privacy screen was down about a half inch. “MOTHER!” He pushed the button to raise it, then locked it. He heard his mom strike the screen with her hand.

“Don’t be mad at her Hutch. She’s been a great help to me. And she really loves you. She wants you to be happy… and she thinks I can provide that for you.”

“Can you?”

“Yes. I can and I will.”

“Tell me. Tell me what happened. Why?”

Starsky took a deep breath and swallowed. Then he looked Hutch straight in the eyes and said, “I saw you hug someone.”

“I hug a lot of people Starsk…”

“I know. But remember the last time you were at my place? I thought you were going to spend the night, but you told me you had something to do. So you went back to your place.” He saw Hutch’s mind tracing back the days. When he nodded, Starsky continued. “I missed you. So I drove by that bagel place when I got up and picked up some of the ones you like. They were still warm. When I got close to your place I… I saw you. You were in your doorway, with your robe on… and you looked like you had just taken a shower. Your hair…” he reached up to run his fingers through the silky blond hair that never failed to mesmerize him. “… was damp. 

“And there was a man with you. He had on a suit, but his tie was hanging out of the suit coat pocket. His shirt was unbuttoned a ways. He started to walk away from you, and you… you… you reached out and pulled him to you and hugged him. It seemed to last a long time and you were saying something in his ear.

Starsky took a deep breath and finished. “I thought you had been with another man. I thought you were cheating on me. I KNOW better, but all I could think of was that you had betrayed me Hutch. I backed around the corner and left before you saw me. 

“Then I didn’t know what to say to you. How to ask you about what I had seen. And the longer I waited, the harder it got to figure out what to do.

“When I found out you had left…” he had to stop to take a deep breath…”I realized I HAD to talk to you. To ask you about what I had seen. Because I KNEW you wouldn’t have betrayed me like that. But it was too late. You were gone.”

“How did you find me? No… never mind… my mother?”

Starsky nodded. He swept a hand over the dress. “This was her idea so we could get close to you. To see if you were happy or not. I knew, as soon as I saw your eyes that you weren’t happy. And I had to do something to make things right.”

“That man was Sheila’s father. The hooker we helped get back home. He came to thank me. I had been out for a run and just finished my shower when he showed up. We talked for a few minutes and I walked him downstairs. I had told him it was going to take time and hard work for him and Sheila to work everything out. He looked so worried. So I hugged him and told him about Carol down at the Juvie hall. That he could call her for the name of a good family counselor.”

“God Hutch, I’m such an ass.”

“Yeah, you are.”

When Starsky looked stunned about to say something, Hutch quickly kissed him.

“But you’re MY ass. And I happen to love you. With all my heart.”

‘Thank God. And your mother.”

“I am sorry for not trusting you my love. You will never know just how sorry.”

“I forgive you.”

The two began to kiss and hug with hands roving over each other. Hutch was investigating Starsky’s ‘boobs’ when the limo hit a bump and reminded them where they were and who else was in the limo. They quickly sat up and adjusted each other’s clothing. Hutch flipped the Intercom switch on and told Jackson to head for HI.

As he sat back he leaned down to whisper to Starsky. “I was serious about you leaving on the nails for tonight. And I hope you’re gonna keep this dress. You look HOT.”

Fade out on laughter, love and sweet, tender, healing kisses.


End file.
